Device And Method For Use During Ligament Reconstruction Surgery

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a device for use in ligament reconstruction surgery. The device includes a handle, a tube coupled to the handle, and a locking mechanism coupled to the handle. A method for use during ligament reconstruction surgery is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/033,648, filed Mar. 4, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Technology

The present disclosure relates to ligament reconstruction surgery, and more specifically, a device and method for determining lengths during reconstruction surgery.

2. Related Art

The creation of reconstruction tunnels in the femur for ligament reconstruction surgery is required for the attachment of a soft tissue graft, such as a patellar tendon or a semitendinosis tendon. The lengths of the femoral tunnels needs to be determined and calculations need to be made to determine the appropriate lengths for the implants that are used to fixate the grafts in the tunnels. Currently, manual calculations are used to determine these lengths. These manual calculations are often inaccurate and time consuming. Therefore, a device and method for calculating these lengths are needed.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a device for use in ligament reconstruction surgery. The device includes a handle, a tube coupled to the handle, and a locking mechanism coupled to the handle. The handle includes a first set of markings, a second set of markings, and a window located between the first and second set of markings. The tube is cannulated and includes a first end portion coupled to the handle and a second end portion. The locking mechanism includes a shaft and a knob coupled to the shaft.

In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for use during ligament reconstruction surgery. The method includes providing a device including a handle, the handle including a first set of markings, a second set of markings, and a window located between the first and second set of markings, a cannulated tube coupled to the handle, the tube including a first end and a second end, and a locking mechanism coupled to the handle, the locking mechanism including a shaft and a knob coupled to the shaft; providing a guide wire, the guide wire having a first end portion including an opening, a second end portion including markings, and a laser mark located between the first and second end; inserting the guide wire through a tibia and femur such that the second end portion extends from the femur; inserting the tube of the device over the second end portion of the guide wire until the first end of the tube abuts a surface of the femur; correlating the second end portion of the guide wire with a marking from the first set of markings to determine a desired length for a femoral tunnel; and correlating a marking on the second end portion of the guide wire with a marking on the second set of markings to determine a desired length for an implant suture.

The method may further include drilling tunnels through the tibia and the femur; coupling suture to the first end of the guide wire; coupling the suture to a tissue graft; and inserting the tissue graft into the tunnels via use of the guide wire.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the written description serve to explain the principles, characteristics, and features of the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a guide wire of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows the guide wire of FIG. 1 inserted through a desired bone tunnel path of a knee joint.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the guide wire of FIG. 1 disposed within the device for use in ligament reconstruction surgery of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows the device and the guide wire of the present disclosure in use during ligament reconstruction surgery.

FIG. 6 shows a soft tissue graft fixated with femoral and tibial bone tunnels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.

FIG. 1 shows a guide wire 10 having a first end portion 11 and a second end portion 12. The second end portion 12 includes an opening 13 and the first end portion 11 includes number markings 14. The guide wire 10 also includes a laser mark 15 located along a length of the guide wire 10. The laser mark 15 serves as a reference point for calculations that are taken in preparation for a ligament reconstruction procedure, as will be further described below. For the purposes of this disclosure, the laser mark 15 is in the shape of a ring that extends the entire diameter of the guide wire 10. However, the shape and the number of laser marks may vary. For instance, instead of having one laser mark that is in the shape of a ring, two laser marks may exist that are located 180° from each other or more than two laser marks may exist with the laser marks forming a discontinuous ring that extends the entire diameter of the guide wire 10.

During reconstruction surgery, the knee joint is viewed arthroscopically to determine proper positioning of the femoral and tibial tunnels. In addition, guide systems may be used to position a drill guide along the desired tunnel paths prior to drilling of the tunnels. An example of a guide system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,520, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In the present disclosure, after proper positioning of the tunnels has been determined, the guide wire 10 is drilled along the desired tunnel path 40, through the tibia 50, the femur 30, and the quadriceps 60 and skin 70, as shown in FIG. 2, such that a portion P of the guide wire 10 extends through the skin 70. As mentioned above, the laser mark serves as a reference point for subsequent calculations. Generally, when inserting the guide 10 through the knee joint, the surgeon will align the laser mark 15 with the outer surface, or cortical layer, of the femur 30, as shown in FIG. 2. The laser mark 15 represents 0 mm on the guide wire 10 and the markings 14 represent a certain distance from the laser mark 15.

A device 20, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is then placed over the portion P of the guide wire 10 extending through the skin 70. The device 20 includes a handle 21, a tube 22 having a first end 22 a and a second end 22 b, and a locking mechanism 23 coupled to the handle 21. The locking mechanism 23 includes a knob 23 a and a shaft 23 b coupled to the knob 23 a. The shaft 23 b is located in a through hole 24 that extends through the handle 21 and the tube 22. The device 20 is placed over the guide wire portion P such that the first end 22 a of the tube 22 extends through the skin and rests against the femoral cortex 30 a, as shown in FIG. 4. Once the end 22 a is resting against the femoral cortex 30 a, the knob 23 a is rotated to engage the guide wire 10 and fixate the guide wire 10 to the device 20. The handle 21 of the device 20 includes markings 21 a, 21 b and a window 21 c for viewing portion P of the guide wire 10. The first end portion 11 of the guide wire 10, specifically the tip 11 a of the second end portion 11, correlates with markings 21 a to provide a calculation of the depth of the desired femoral tunnel. The depth will vary based on the trajectory or angle, relative to the tibia and femur, at which the guide 10 is inserted through the knee joint and the physical size of the bone. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the depth of the tunnel is 40 mm.

Next, the surgeon finds the appropriate marking 14 on the guide wire 10 that corresponds to the length of a tissue graft that will be used to replace the damaged ligament. A tissue graft, such as a patellar tendon or a semitendonosis tendon, is harvested from the femur and measured, prior to the guide wire being placed into the joint, via harvesting and measurement techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The markings 14 on the guide wire 10 correspond to markings 21 b to provide a size calculation for the suture loop that will be used in connection with a fixation device and suture to couple the graft to the second end 12 of the guide wire 10, as will be further described below. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 3, if the length of the tissue graft is 20 mm, then the length of the suture loop should be 20 mm. The length of the suture loop will also vary based on the trajectory or angle, relative to the tibia and femur, at which the guide 10 is inserted through the knee joint and the physical size of the bone. Examples of a suture loop and fixation device that may be used are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,306,301 and 6,533,802, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

After a calculation of the desired tunnel and suture loop length has been determined, drilling of the femoral and tibial tunnels occurs, via drilling techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art, using the guide wire 10 as a drilling guide. As can be seen in FIG. 5, after drilling of the femoral and tibia tunnels 80,90, suture 300 is passed through the opening 13 of the guide wire 10 and then coupled to the graft 400, via the fixation device 200 to couple the guide wire 10 to the graft 400. Tie fixation device 200 is previously coupled to the graft 400 via the suture loop 100. The surgeon may then use the device 20 to pull the graft 400 into the tunnels 80,90 and the fixation device 200 onto the femoral cortex 30 a, as shown in FIG. 6. Coupling of the suture 300 and the graft 400 to the fixation device 200 may occur as described in the '301 and '802 patents identified above.

The guide wire 10 includes a biocompatible metal material, such as stainless material or titanium alloy. The opening 13 and the markings 14 on the first and second end portions 11,12 of the guide wire 10 may be made via a punch press or other machining or engraving process. The handle 21, tube 22, and knob 23 a also include a biocompatible metal material, such as stainless steel or titanium alloy, and may be made from a molding or machining process. The first and second set of markings 21 a, 21 b may be made by a machining or engraving process. The shaft 23 b may be threaded and the through hole 24 may have matching threading to facilitate movement of the shaft through the through hole 24 as the shaft 23 b is rotated.

The device 20 of the present disclosure allows for calculation of the femoral tunnel length and uses a formula for determining the appropriate suture loop size based on the graft length that is selected by the surgeon, thereby eliminating the need to perform manual calculations. In addition, the device can be used to safely remove the guide wire from the tibial and femoral tunnels.

As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

1. A device for use in ligament reconstruction surgery comprising: a handle comprising a first set or markings, a second set markings, and a window located between the first and second set of markings; a tube coupled to the handle; and a locking mechanism coupled to the handle.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the tube is cannulated.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the tube comprises a first end portion coupled to the handle and a second end portion.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a shaft and a knob coupled to the shaft.
 5. A method for use during ligament reconstruction surgery comprising: providing a device including a handle, the handle including a first set of markings, a second set of markings, and a window located between the first and second set of markings, a cannulated tube coupled to the handle, the tube including a first end and a second end, and a locking mechanism coupled to the handle, the locking mechanism including a shaft and a knob coupled to the shaft; providing a guide wire, the guide wire having a second end portion including an opening and a first end portion including markings; inserting the guide wire through a tibia and a femur such that the first end portion extends from the femur; inserting the tube of the device over the first end portion of the guide wire until a first end of the tube abuts a surface of the femur; correlating the first end portion of the guide wire with a marking from the first set of markings to determine a length for a femoral tunnel; and correlating a marking on the first end portion of the guide wire with a marking on the second set of markings to determine a length for an implant suture.
 6. The method of claim 5 further comprising: drilling tunnels through the tibia and the femur; coupling suture to the second end of the guide wire; coupling the suture to a tissue graft; and inserting the tissue graft into the tunnels via use of the guide wire. 